Guide to the Westminster College President's Office strategic planning records

Strategic planning is the process by which an organization formulates its long range goals and selects activities for achieving them. Strategic planning measures are taken in order to improve the College's ability to assist the students in their academic careers.

In 1970, the College issued a self-study report. Although undoubtedly not the first manifestation of strategic planning at Westminster College, a copy of a long range plan which has survived was the one formulated by President Helmut P. Hofmann in the mid-1970s.

In 1979, the College was in budgetary distress and had declared financial exigency. The Board of Trustees appointed James "Pete" Petersen as an interim president. He felt that defining clear institutional goals with financial costs attached was a necessary step in the survival of the College. A consultant, Sterling McMurrin, was employed, and support from O.C. Tanner, a distinguished Mormon businessman, was solicited. With funds from O.C. Tanner, Sidney Tickton (Vice-President of the Academy for Educational Development) was hired to review Westminster's academics and position within higher education. He presented a draft report of his findings in August 1979 (the Tickton Report), recommending 8 educational objectives, a new mission statement, and new programs shifting the College from career/professional to a liberal arts emphasis.

In late 1979, Petersen resigned his interim presidency and the Board of Trustees appointed C. David Cornell (former Vice-President of Wagner College, Staten Island, New York) as Westminster's 12th president. In 1980, a 10-year plan entitled "A pursuit of excellence" was released. This plan, which was based on the Tickton Report recommendations, was written by a joint group of faculty, administrators, and students.

By January 1982, the College was again in a financial crisis, and Cornell resigned. James Petersen's help was again enlisted. Reorganization plans were developed, and the existing institution, Westminster College, was formally closed on January 18, 1983, reopening the same day as a new institution renamed Westminster College of Salt Lake City. The College's financial situation slowly improved. James Petersen was named president by the newly-constituted Board of Trustees of Westminster College of Salt Lake City, taking office in February 1982. This reorganization was documented as one case study of successful strategic planning in a 1988 book edited by Douglas Steeples.

Charles Dick began his term as Westminster's 14th president in July 1985. He appointed a Strategic Planning Task Force Committee charged with "identifying key strategies that would help improve and ensure the continued success of Westminster College. The Committee, co-chaired by Executive Vice-President Stephen Morgan and Academic Vice-President Steve Baar, identified 12 goals and a set of priorities for a 5-year period. In July 1993 a Strategic Planning Retreat took place, followed by an October 1993 Board of Trustees Retreat which included a "strategic planning exercise". A list of educational goals and a mission statement were approved. The final report was issued June 1994. Entitled "Westminster College of Salt Lake City strategic plan", it identified 7 major goals.

Under President Peggy Stock, a document entitled "A Course of Action" for 1997-2001 was released.

Westminster College's 16th President, Michael Bassis, launched a robust strategic planning process shortly after taking office in 2002. For 3 months, a representative Steering Committee from the Board of Trustees worked with President Bassis to design a year-long, multi-stage planning process. The Steering Committee appointed several task forces to look at 9 critical issues. In addition, Bassis hired a strategic planning coordinator, Helen Langan, who worked from the President's Office. The Strategic Planning Task Force released "Finding our voice" with their recommendations in Fall 2003 and the final version of the plan was recommended to the Board of Trustees in January 2004. The mission statement was reviewed, and a Westminster College vision statement, along with a list of core values was developed. Besides releasing a 10-year strategic plan for 2004-2014, annual action plans for shorter-term goals were written.

The Westminster College website with information on the college's current strategic plan can be found at:

• Westminster College Strategic Plan 2014-2019

Sources:

• Brackenridge, R. Douglas. Westminster College of Salt Lake City : from Presbyterian mission school to independent college. Logan, Utah : Utah State University Press, 1998.
• Steeples, Douglas W. "Westminster College of Salt Lake City", p. 68, in Douglas W. Steeples (editor), Successful strategic planning : case studies. San Francisco and London, Jossey-Bass, 1988.
• Westminster College website, viewed August 2014.

This collection consists of strategic planning records dating from 1977-2005 from the President's Office of Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah. The material include various correspondence, meeting minutes, newsletters, planning models, programs, plans (draft and final), and strategic planning statements for Westminster College's future. Also in the collection are a plaque and several small laminated cards. The strategic planning documents in the collection date from the presidencies of Helmut P. Hofmann (10th President), James E. Petersen (13th President), Charles H. Dick (14th President), and Michael S. Bassis (16th President). While the first subseries of the Michael Bassis presidency records are the official documents released by the President's Office to the Westminster College community, the second subseries (Helen Langan's records) offers an in-depth view of the strategic planning process from the coordinator's perspective.

Restrictions on Access:

Open to public research, with the exception of Box 2, Folder 5 (Budget issues) which is restricted.

Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Twenty-four hours advance notice is encouraged.

Restrictions on Use:

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material must be obtained from the director of the Giovale Library.

Preferred Citation:

Westminster College President's Office strategic planning records, 1977-2005, ACC-045, Giovale Library Archives, Westminster College, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically and grouped in series by presidenc. The exception to this is a subseries of the Michael S. Bassis series, entitled the "Helen Langan strategic planning coordinator's records", which are arranged alphabetically by topic.

Processing Note:

Processed in October 2007 by Charlene Newbold, and reviewed in January 2008 by Tera Mayo. Some of the records have experienced moderate water damage and have been dried. Originally arranged alphabetical by subject category, thereunder chronologically by year. Rearranged into chronological order and grouped into series by presidencies in June 2012 by Sarah Shaw.

Creator:

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983). President's Office

Westminster College of Salt Lake City. Office of the President

Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- ). Office of the President

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Quantity:

1.5 linear feet

Language of the Finding Aid:

English.

Author of the Finding Aid:

Finding aid written in October 2007 by Charlene Newbold, and reviewed in January 2008 by Tera Mayo. Historical note added June 2012 by Sarah Shaw; expanded July 2014 to add Helen Langan records.

EAD Creation Date:

2012 June 2 by Sarah Shaw

Standard:

Describing Archives : A Content Standard (DACS)

Subarea:

Related Material:

Related collections and photographs in Giovale Library Archives:

• Westminster College Board of Trustees minutes, 1892-2004 (ACC-016A)
• Westminster College Board of Trustees records, 1913-1979, 1988-1990 (ACC-016B)
• Westminster College Vice-President of Academic Affairs reorganization records, 1978-1983 (ACC-022)
• Photograph of Helmut P. Hofmann
• Photograph of James E. "Pete" Petersen
• Photograph of Charles H. Dick
• Photograph of President Michael S. Bassis

Corporate Names:

Henry W. & Leslie M. Eskuche Charitable Foundation
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983)--Planning
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1902-1983). President's Office--Archives
Westminster College of Salt Lake City--Planning
Westminster College of Salt Lake City. Office of the President--Archives
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- )--Planning
Westminster College (Salt Lake City, Utah : 1998- ). Office of the President--Archives

Subject Terms:

Strategic planning--Utah--Salt Lake City
Universities and colleges--Planning

Form or Genre Terms:

Cards (informational artifacts)
Correspondence
Minutes
Newsletters
Plans (reports)
Plaques (flat objects)
Programs (documents)

Personal Names:

Bassis, Michael S.
Dick, Charles H. (Charles Howard)
Hofmann, Helmut P. (Helmut Phillip), 1926-
Langan, Helen, 1976-
Petersen, James E., 1918-1996

Geographical Names:

Salt Lake City (Utah)--History--Sources